Ghana Revokes 278 Small-Scale Mining Licenses in Crackdown on Galamsey: Buah Targets Breaches and Expired Permits
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has cancelled 278 small-scale mining licenses across Ghana, targeting operators for regulatory violations and expired permits as part of a renewed offensive against illegal mining, or galamsey, that has ravaged the nation’s environment.
The announcement, made by Ministry Spokesperson Paa Kwesi Schandorf via Facebook on October 23, underscores Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah’s zero-tolerance stance, aiming to instill discipline and sustainability in a sector employing over 1 million but blamed for polluting 60% of water bodies and destroying 2.7 million hectares of forest since 2010.
Schandorf detailed that the revocations focused on non-compliance with environmental safeguards, safety protocols, and timely renewals under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
“This is part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to sanitize Ghana’s small-scale mining sector and ensure strict adherence to regulations,” he stated, aligning with Buah’s September 1 deadline for 902 miners to validate licenses or face cancellation—a process that has already seized over 500 excavators since January.
Affected licenses span regions like Ashanti (42%), Western (28%), and Eastern (15%), hitting small-scale operations that produce 35% of Ghana’s $6.5 billion gold output but often skirt rules on mercury use and reclamation.
Buah, appointed in January 2025, has ramped up enforcement amid Mahama’s pledge for a “war on galamsey,” declaring water bodies as national security zones and partnering with the Ghana Water Company for recovery plans. “We cannot allow unchecked destruction to cripple our agriculture and health,” Buah said earlier, with the revocations following a March 2025 audit that flagged 1,200 non-compliant sites.
While praised by environmentalists like A Rocha Ghana for curbing pollution that has contaminated 70% of rivers with heavy metals, critics from the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners warn of job losses—up to 50,000—with calls for grace periods and retraining.
This purge builds on earlier 2025 actions, like the revocation of post-December 7, 2024, licenses deemed politically motivated, and aligns with global standards amid threats of arbitration from firms like Blue Gold Holdings over lease disputes.
As Ghana eyes $10 billion in gold revenues for 2026, Buah’s reforms signal a shift toward regulated, eco-friendly mining to balance economic gains with planetary health.
